Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson will retire after 30 years in Congress

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) announced Saturday that she will not seek re-election next year and plans to retire after serving for 30 years in Congress.

Why it matters: Johnson, 85, is a trailblazing Democrat who was the first Black woman elected to state public office from Dallas and was the first Black woman to chair the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

What they're saying: “I’m proud of what I’ve done because there is no Texan in the history of this state who has brought more home," Johnson said, per the Texas Tribune. "As much as we trash the names of some of the Republicans, they were some of the same ones that helped me be successful."

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that Johnson is "a dedicated and highly effective leader on behalf of Dallas area families and the entire nation for her thirty years in the Congress and nearly 50 years in public service."
• "On behalf of her many friends in Congress, we thank the Chairwoman for her leadership for the people of Texas and all Americans, and wish her and her family, including her beloved son Kirk and grandchildren Kirk Jr, David and James, the best in their next steps," Pelosi said.

What's next: Johnson said Saturday that she would look for a qualified woman candidate to endorse as her replacement as her district is set to remain Democratic after redistricting, the Dallas Morning News reports.

• "Let me assure that I will also recommend to you whom I feel is the best to follow me," she said, per the Tribune.